15 ELLE readers vote for their favorite of three new releases that we love—this month, quirky memoirs with authors to match

Our readers were consistently both moved and entertained by Winstead's sharply witty and iconoclastic account of evolving from sheltered midwestern Catholic girl to what one commenter calls a "punk-rock comic," then becoming a cocreator of The Daily Show and cofounder of Air America Radio.

Just in time for the flag-waving wackiness that comes into play as Election 2012 begins comes The Daily Show creator Lizz Winsted's political-girl-with-a-heart memoir. Winstead's story is not just about how she followed her liberal views to inspire and create the comedy show that has more followers than an actual nightly newscast, but also about the ways in which our generation is dealing with, among other things, choosing to be childless, sexism in the workplace and, with resolute sincerity, the heartbreaking details of dealing with aging parents. —Jana Siciliano, Metuchen, NJ

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I enjoyed watching Winstead mature in her collection of essays. The first few seem to be slightly self-conscious, but as she grows up to become more interested in politics and the world around her, the essays gain more substance and feel less like she's simply going for the joke. It's fascinating to see how Winstead's upbringing shaped her comedy routines, and how serious she really is about her craft. Her journey to self-discovery provides hilarious and poignant material and made me grateful to her father who, as he likes to boast, raised her "to have an opinion." —Lois Alter Mark, San Diego

Memoirs can be difficult to navigate; at times, it feels like the reader is the involuntary therapist, and the book is only a cathartic release of the author's pent-up resentment or emotions towards life or familial experiences. Though Winstead's sprinkling of sharp-witted political commentary made me smile, I had difficulty relating to the essays that chronicled her upbringing. —Katie Calder, Evanston, IL

In this day of Jersey Shore autobiographies, Winstead offers up a refreshingly smart and funny female voice in Lizz Free Or Die. Though Winstead seems to effortlessly make her reader laugh aloud, she admits to the challenges she faced in the process of writing, making her point of view even more relatable. In doing so, she defines the total freedom that can be found in writing.—Beka Shane Denter, Boston

In Lizz Free or Die, Winstead delivers, with an unapologetically smart and feminist take on life. It was interesting to learn of her hilarious and exemplary path from punk rock comic to creator of The Daily Show. —Elizabeth Moeller, Syracuse, NY

Winstead captures us with essays that perfectly articulate how a young girl's daydreams and fantasies work and sustains our interest with equally compelling meditations on parenting, career challenges, TV news silliness, and public stupidity. What an original thinker she is.—Valerie Wieland, Smyrna, TN

The author of the blockbuster Running With Scissors and several other memoirs, Burroughs takes a different tack in this collection of personal reflections packaged as a self-help guide. Some were inspired by his advice to, as one reader put it, "shut up, stop the whining, and get back to the business of living." Others? Not so much.

A provocative and intense read, This Is How will either liberate or infuriate readers, depending on their personal philosophy and willingness to be open to the inconceivable. Some may finds Burroughs' sifting through life's roadblocks off-putting, while others will be inspired by its simplicity. Burroughs offers up advice with universal appeal, and his words bring tears of both laughter and sadness; to seamlessly move between the two is a gift Burroughs' gives to his reader, without apology. —Beka Shane Denter, Boston

This is the kind of book only someone like Augusten Burroughs could write. Brave but not exactly cuddly, he doesn't sugarcoat the process of changing one's life because he knows that, for most people, change feels like the jagged top of a poorly-opened tin can. His advice to start change within yourself and watch the way the world changes around you is thought-provoking. An honest but bitter pill of a how-to. —Jana Siciliano, Metuchen, NJ

Being familiar with several of Burroughs' works, I assumed that the subtitle Help for the Self would have little to do with what the book was actually about. I was surprised to be mistaken. Burroughs' reflections don't read like the typical drivel that permeates so much of the self-improvement world. Instead, he tells you to shut up, stop the whining, and get back the business of living. Inspiring words, indeed. —Kate Esposito, Las Vegas, NV

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Though I get a kick out of dark humor and appreciate a direct attitude, Burroughs' tone gravitates towards the off-putting when talking about sensitive issues. Yes, he survived Running with Scissors, but somehow he doesn't seem to be someone to turn to for life advice. His self-righteous version of the self-help genre that he mocks may hurt as many readers as it heals.—Lois Alter Mark, San Diego

I alternated between thinking that Burroughs was giving smart, honest advice that didn't try to shield people from the truth and thinking that he was a smug bastard. However, I feel that this book caused me to reflect on my own beliefs and my own approach to life's challenges, which is the absolute most you can ask of a book.—Elizabeth Moeller, Syracuse, NY

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Burroughs' enthusiasm makes for enlightening reflections on the search for truth, learning who you are, the fallacy of being optimistic when you don't feel like it, how negative behaviors become habits, and taking responsibility for yourself even if others did you wrong. —Valerie Wieland, Smyrna, TN

Some admired the candor with which Dratch recounts her bumpy ride through the entertainment industry on the way to starting a family; others found her recurrent references to being "ugly" in her own and others' eyes to be cringeworthy and too dyspeptic for comfort.

Girl Walks into a Bar... is a humorous reflection on Dratch's ascent from struggling stand-up comic to Saturday Night Live. She treats us to behind-the-scenes snippets of working with the SNL mainstays, using vivid detail when describing how they all worked together to produce shows week after week. The real depth of her story begins, however, when she meets her partner, John, and becomes pregnant in her early forties. Dratch manages to inject humor into her whole life-change, and we can tell she's content with where life has led her. —Lori H. Matthews, San Francisco

Despite her huge success on Saturday Night Live, Rachel Dratch experienced years of struggling, including losing the role of Jenna of 30 Rock, created by her good friend Tina Fey. This alone is the stuff of Hollywood anti-dreams, but somehow Dratch takes it in stride, along with poignant memories about dating and eventually finding unexpected happiness later in life, turning it all into a true "lemons into lemonade" story. The ways in which Dratch has found positivity in what most people would think is just plain bad luck are inspiring and funny.—Jana Siciliano, Metuchen, NJ

This glimpse into Rachel Dratch's relatable persona is refreshingly non-narcissistic. Dratch's ability to put herself out there without being overtly philosophical is particularly appealing. —Beka Shane Denter, Boston

Rachel Dratch is remarkably candid about her foibles and failures, making her story universally identifiable. Through her stories, she becomes a person you'd want to know, delighting with everything from funny tales about grade school "dates" and grown-up ones to insights into how comedy improvisation really works. The question of whether she will ever find love is a suspenseful one, but with a happy ending, and we celebrate with her when, at 43, she meets the guy, finds out she's pregnant, and is joyous at the birth of her baby. —Valerie Wieland, Smyrna, TN

While Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch's memoir is brave and funny, it's too often cringe-worthy. As Dratch relates incident after incident in which she was rejected because of her looks, I kept turning back to her pictures in disbelief. Though it can be very endearing when an author is self-deprecating, and Dratch's writing style is captivating, the fact that the theme of her memoir seems to be that even the "ugly" girl can find happiness is disappointing. This woman created some of the most iconic characters on one of the top TV shows ever! Yet the story of her falling in love and having a baby in her forties takes center stage. Debbie Downer, indeed. —Lois Alter Mark, San Diego